Gingerbread house decorating was never a big thing in our house growing up. I always looked forward to the holidays and Christmas, decorating our tree and helping my dad with festive colorful lights. I think one of my most treasured memory of Christmas with the family is one year when we spent an entire afternoon watching the Cowboys play the Redskins on the big screen TV while my mom, siblings and I prepared food and went about domestic chores. Later we got on top of the roof to string up lights.
So when the Record-Bee received an invitation to this year’s annual Gingerbread House decorating dinner, I didn’t hesitate to take them up on their offer. Although I always love the transition into the fall and winter months, it wasn’t until after Thanksgiving that I started to take notice of all the beautiful seasonal decorations in most of our local business establishments. Instant seasonal good vibes! The event at Boatique Winery in Kelseyville on the last day of November was a great way to usher in the holiday season and as one of the participants pointed out, “food, wine and gingerbread houses to decorate, what’s not to love?”
According to the English Heritage charity in England and author, podcaster and food historian Sam Bilton, even though gingerbread has become a culinary staple of the Christmas holiday, this was not always the case. Bilton notes that gingerbread served a practical purpose at medieval feasts, it was often served as a sweetmeat at the end of a meal as part of the “void” which denotes the clearing of the table between courses. He adds that ginger had long been praised for its abilities to help in digestion. In the Elizabethan era, it was described as a paste to comfort the stomach but was also believed to be good for flatulence and sharpening one’s sight.
Because I had originally assigned coverage of the event to a correspondent who was unable to make it at the last minute, I had not even researched the details prior to heading out to the event, I didn’t even realize at first that there was a contest where Boatique staff voted on and awarded prizes including: A glass of Rosé of Malbec or Sauvignon Blanc, $200 per duo, $185 for Club Members, $125 for individual and $110 for Club Members.
Boatique Winery wines are 40 percent off for the season and those who attended the event received additional offers for discounts, especially those with a current membership. The approximately 30 participants laughed, shared time with each other and of course, decorated their gingerbread houses using warmed up icing to glue gum drops, mini jellies, stars and pinwheels in addition to colorful candy canes, beads and lights.
Since I got there slightly early, I waited around for our photographer to join me and spoke to Francesca Zito, director of events and property management team member at the Winery, who filled me in on the finer points of the event and some of the winery’s future plans including the continuation of comedy nights which have been well attended with 100 to 150 people in attendance at shows held last month. Zito said the Gingerbread house event has been going on for about six years.
While at the dinner catered by Rosey Cooks, which consisted of cider brined pork tenderloin, wild rice, winter greens and assorted sweets, I met Tim Kucera, a bike enthusiast and transplant from Nebraska who moved to Lake County before the Covid pandemic. Kucera said he attended because it is a good way to get to know people and added that he was amazed by the natural beauty in Lake County.
I also had the pleasure of sitting and chatting with a family composed of three generations, the eldest of which is a gingerbread house fan and collector. The Petersons are Cobb residents, grandmother Debbie, mother Jessica, and daughter Grace. Jessica said her mom throws gingerbread parties for her grandkids each year and the family was celebrating her early birthday (December 15) and thought it was a treat to enjoy gingerbread building, without the usual clean up. They were all hard at work trying to win a prize, but mostly enjoying each other’s company.
Not everyone walked away with a cash prize that night, but everyone got to take their decorated Gingerbread houses with them and for the first time this year, I got to experience the warmth, joy and cozy feeling of the holiday season. Since I only had a glass of Malbec with dinner, I am sure the warmth can be attributed to the hearth like nature of Boatique, and not just the wines found within its facility.
